Photo-Based Ad Network Pixazza Raises $5.75 Million In First Round; Backing from Google

Startup Pixazza has raised $5.75 million in a first round that includes investors August Capital, CMEA Ventures, Foundation Capital and most interestingly, from Google (NSDQ: GOOG), according to peHub. Angel investors include Ron Conway, former *eBay* COO Maynard Webb, and Facebook CFO Gideon Yu. Founded in 2008, Pixazza has a newish twist on commerce: it distributes images to publishers that include products people can purchase by clicking on the product within the image then purchasing it at the product’s website.

For example, a Paris Hilton pic with a click to be able to see which shoes she’s wearing, and where to buy them. It uses contextual technology and tags in a page where the picture is placed to determine what products to recommend, automatically (similar to Google Adsense and hence the Google connection). It then splits its commission from the sale with its publishing partners. Pixazza is headed by former Netscape execs Bob Lisbonne and James Everingham.